Lady Diana lookalike makes move from salon to the stage
A HAIRDRESSER who tasted fame on a surprise primetime TV appearance has now landed a starring role in London’s West End – playing Princess Diana in a new musical.
Natasha John, from Pencoed, will play the late royal in a stage musical about the Princess of Wales later this year.
The role comes three years after she unexpectedly found herself singing with Michael Ball on Michael McIntyre’s Big Show.
As a result of that appearance, Natasha received a call two months ago from Brian Watson, one of the writers and lyricist of Call Me Diana asking her to audition for the main part.
Brian had spotted Natasha on the recent Big Show highlights and thought the 25-year-old might be just the person to play the iconic Diana, Princess of Wales in the musical he was co-writing with David Smart.
Brian said: “You know when it’s right, when you’ve tears in your eyes and the hairs on the back of your neck are standing up.”
Natasha impressed them both, and won the part.
In just over six months, she will play one of the world’s most loved and adored women, and hopefully become a star herself.
It’s a far cry from life as a hairdresser in her mum’s salon, The Cutting Crew, and Natasha hopes it will be a “life-changing opportunity”.
She had her first taste of stardom on national TV when she appeared on the Big Show in April 2016.
Natasha was duped into going to London on what she thought was a hairdressing job at a theatre.
Shown into a dressing room at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, Natasha realised her client was comedian Michael McIntyre, but tried to keep calm.
It was then that the walls of the dressing room fell away, to reveal she was on stage in front of a packed theatre audience as that week’s Unexpected Star of the Show.
And just minutes later the keen signer was duetting live with Michael Ball – wowing the audience with her performance.
Brian heard her voice on a highlights show, and was impressed with her classically trained voice.
Call Me Diana is billed as a long-awaited stage musical tribute to Diana, and will be shown at the Leicester Square Theatre in September this year.
Brian added: “This longawaited tribute is fit for a Princess, and now our wonderful star of the show is in place.
“The crotchets and the quavers are all being honed, no rock, no punk, no rap, each and every one of the 20 original songs in the full production are truly fit for a princess.”
The production team say they will handle the death of the princess in a “delicate way”.
They say the finale will be “uplifting”, celebrating the legacy Diana left behind.
The initial show will be performed to a limited number of ticket holders along with invited investors, producers, the media and special guests before it becomes a fully-staged production spectacular.